Not applicable.
This invention has been created without the sponsorship or funding of any federally sponsored research or development program.
The present invention is generally directed to a holder for a staff such as a flag staff or umbrella staff. The present invention is specifically directed to a free standing staff holder which is adjustable for releasably securing staffs of different thickness.
Most staff holders are adapted to be secured to a fixed structure. Other staff holders are free standing and include a broad and weighted base for supporting the staff and means for securing the staff to the holder. One type of holder includes a tubular vertical post extending upwardly from a base and having a top opening for receiving a staff. The staff is secured within the post by a locking screw. This is a relatively simple design but is not completely effective in securing the staff. There are a number of staff holders which are very effective in securing the staff to the post. However, all of these latter holders are complicated, expensive and difficult to use. These an other difficulties experienced with the prior art staff holders have been obviated by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a staff holder that includes a base, post, and adjustable hand actuated locking mechanism for securely locking the staff to the post.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a modular staff holder which can be quickly assembled and disassembled and which includes hand actuated means for securing the staff to the holder.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a staff holder which is simple in construction, easy to use and effective for securely holding a staff.
With these and other objects in view, as will apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.
In general, the invention consists of a staff holder that includes a supporting base, a vertical post attached to the supporting base and a hand actuated chuck at the top of the post. The chuck includes an inner ring fixed to the post, a plurality of gripping jaws supported in the ring for transverse movement relative to the central vertical axis of the post, an outer ring mounted on the inner ring for rotation about the vertical axis of the post and a camming mechanism for causing the gripping jaws to move transversely relative to the inner ring upon manual rotation of the outer ring. More specifically, the post of the holder is removably connected to the base.